Odell Beckham, Jr: One Team Reportedly Hired Private Investigator to Look into Drug Use Before Potential Trade

Odell Beckham, Jr. got his big contract from the Giants. A few months ago, things were looking like they were heading for a separation. Then, the Paris video of Odell in a hotel room with pizza and a white substance emerged. Seth Wickersham of ESPN has a lengthy profile of Odell Beckham that just dropped, and it contains this blurb about the concern around the league.

The stakes are high. In the spring, when the Giants were listening to trade inquiries — the Rams and 49ers were the two teams reported to be interested, but there were others — one curious club hired a private investigator to track Beckham. The Paris video had introduced drug-use rumors that teams wanted to run down, even if recreational drug use falls below his surgically repaired ankle on most teams’ list of concerns. The PI’s report set off no alarms, but despite the Giants being “50-50” on their willingness to trade him, according to a league source with knowledge of the situation, no team would meet their asking price, which was believed to be a pair of first-rounders.

That video was one of the reasons why Odell is still a risk. In addition to the background investigations into Beckham that reportedly took place, it’s interesting to see the asking price, which is normally reserved for quarterbacks. Two first rounders would be a steep price, and shows why it’s hard to get these deals done. It’s unlikely one of those players would be as good as Odell Beckham, but the value/price difference also means teams are not willing to part with them.